24 C O N T E X T 1 1 6 : S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 0 IHBC Annual School 2010 IHBC Annual School 2009 IHBC Annual School 2010 the interior works, while the foyer bar resonated to a performance of contemporary Arab music. We walked along a busy Queen’s Walk, past Jubilee Gardens and the London Eye to County Hall. Black described how aspirations to build tall here had posed problems in terms of protected views from across the city, and in particular from Parliament Square. The square is part of the Westminster World Heritage Site. County Hall (1911–33, Grade II*), the former citadel of London government, has fully surrendered to commercialism in a way that would make any Thatcherite proud. The result is an undoubted success on its own terms, but the crowded riverside is messy and congested for a site of such national significance. We proceed to St Thomas’s Hospital (Grade II), a large complex of Victorian buildings with post-war additions. Inside the Victorian buildings, delightful Doulton-tiled fairytale murals from the former children’s wards add touches of colour and humanity to the main corridor.We inspected a recently refurbished canteen. Black described some of the day-to-day conservation issues that arise from this city-within-a-city. The preparation of a statement of significance and a close working relationship between the council and building managers have proved great successes. Leaving St Thomas’s, we proceeded to the Church of St Mary-at-Lambeth by the main gate to Lambeth Palace. The churchyard contains the tomb of the Tradescants, 17th-century plant hunters. The church is now the Garden Museum. The museum’s director had kindly agreed to let us in for free to view the belvedere. This is a recently installed, and fully reversible, pale timber mezzanine and staircase by Dow Jones architects. It dominates the internal space and provides much-needed additional accommodation. The cool shade of the museum, with its antique seed packets and spades, coffee and excellent lunch menu, proved a welcome finale to a walk, which had cast a fresh light on the South Bank. Black and Powell provided new insights into the heritage management of this otherwise familiar and much-visited part of London. Michael Taylor Kings Cross canal-side development tour Having travelled many times through Kings Cross from Yorkshire, I well remembered my previous experiences – an overcrowded dismal station set in a depressing part of London. However, our arrival by tube brought us to the new ticket hall serving Kings Cross/St Pancras – spacious, clean and modern transport infrastructure. This was the first sign of the reborn Kings Cross district. A decade ago, when a brave soul published a visitor’s map to Kings Cross, the area we were to visit – the old The model of the Kings Cross redevelopment (Photo: Dave Chetwyn) A residential development will be built inside this decorative gasometer (Photo: Jon Finney)
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